Flaming Hearts
by Elphaba Thropp of Oz
Summary: Barnum's Next Love series, book 1. When P.T. decides to take the circus on tour, Charity realizes that the life she has isn't the one she wanted. Who does P.T. turn to now? Perhaps a certain bearded lady. Thanks to 39CluesFan-Star for co writing.
1. Chapter 1

**thanks to 39CluesFan-Star for co writing this story.**

"Charity, wait. You don't understand." Charity turned on P.T. "I understand perfectly well. You're running off again." She gave him the fiercest glare ever. "I also understand that my husband constantly leaving isn't the life I wanted." P.T. braced himself for what he had a feeling was coming next. "I'm leaving. For good this time. I'll be taking Caroline with me to my parents. Helen will stay with you." Charity walked halfway up the stairs. "Caroline, pack your things. We're leaving." Caroline and Helen ran downstairs. "What do you mean, leaving?" Caroline asked. "And why did you only tell me? Isn't Helen coming too?" Charity took a deep breath. "Caroline, this might be hard to understand, but you and I are going to stay at your grandparents. Helen is going with your father and the circus on tour." Helen looked confused. "But, when are you and Caroline coming back?" Charity held Helen's shoulders. "Not for a long time, I'm afraid." Caroline's eyes filled with tears. "Does that mean I won't see daddy again?" She asked, her voice wavering. "I'm afraid so." Charity said. At that, Caroline burst into tears and threw her arms around P.T. "I'll miss you." She said. Helen walked over to Charity and silently hugged her. Then she went to stand with P.T. as Charity took Caroline's hand and they walked out the door. Caroline took one look at her home before joining her mother in the carriage. Only then did Helen begin to cry.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hi Anne! Hi Phillip! Hi Lettie!" Those were the the people Helen said hi to first when she and P.T. arrived at the circus. P.T. watched Helen run around greeting everyone in sight. He sat down and put his head in his hands. The day's events were finally catching up to him. "Phinn? What's wrong?" P.T. looked up and saw Lettie, looking concerned. She say down next to him. "Where's Caroline? And why are you so upset?" P.T. sighed. What else could bee tell her? "Charity left me. She took Caroline with her. She said she didn't like how much I was leaving, so..." He trailed off, unsure of what to say next. He almost expected Lettie to dismiss it as nothing important. But, much to his surprise, Lettie wrapped her arms around him. P.T. felt himself losing control. Finally, he couldn't hold back and began to cry. He felt Lettie hold him even tighter. He knew that the circus was where he belonged. Here, with Helen. Here, with his circus family. Here, where he belonged more than anywhere else. Here, with Lettie.

 **Thanks to 39CluesFan-Star for co writing.**


	3. Updates

In sorry about the lack of updates, im trying to put all of my energy into The Yellow Eyed Girl before I continue the others.


	4. Chapter 3

**Finally, the long awaited chapter 3!**

It had been two weeks since P.T. had seen Charity and Caroline. Up until that point, Helen hadn't really noticed, but today, things would change.

"Daddy? Where's Mommy and Caroline?" P.T. hadn't been prepared for that question. "They're...they're..." Helen watched him expectantly. "Helen, this might be hard for you to understand, but...they've moved away." Helen still looked confused. "For how long?" She asked. "Well...forever." Helen couldn't contain herself. She burst into tears and ran off. She hasn't gotten too far when she smacked into Lettie, who had just entered the room. She knelt down to Helen's height. "What's wrong?" Helen raised her head. "Daddy said that I'm never gonna see Mommy and Caroline again." She looked back to the ground. "That can't be true, can it?" Lettie sighed and wrapped her arms around Helen. "I'm afraid your father is telling the truth." Helen sobbed at this. "But that doesn't mean you have to forget about them." Helen looked up at her. "Remember them, but also don't forget to move on. Don't stay stuck in the grief of a past event." Helen nodded. "Thanks Lettie." Then Helen headed off toward her room. After she left, P.T. walked over to Lettie. "Thank you, Lettie. I wouldn't have known what to say from there." Lettie smiled. "Any time." She started to walk away. "You spoke as if from experience." Lettie spun around. "It was from experience." She sighed heavily and sat down on one of the benches set up for the audience. When she looked up at P.T., he saw deep pain resurfacing. "For a long time, I was in love. I no longer remember his name, but he didn't judge me because of my appearance. After some time, his parents meet me, and they didn't approve of the relationship. He tried to resist then, but he couldn't. He said goodbye to me." Her voice cracked on the last word, and her eyes filled with tears. P.T. sat down next to her and took her hand. "That must have been hard." Lettie nodded without looking at him. She took a deep breath before meeting P.T.'s gaze. Somehow, she had managed to shove all the old pain away. After a few moments, P.T. found himself unable to divert his gaze. He felt as if they had gotten closer together. He took both of Lettie's hands in his own. After a couple minutes, it was Lettie who managed to break her gaze. "I-I should probably go practice." P.T. saw her blush. He stood up. "I'd better go check on the others. We have a show in an hour." He felt himself blushing too. What was going on with him? It was later that he recognized this feeling. The only time he had felt it before was when he was around Charity.


	5. Chapter 4

**this will be short.**

They just finished a show. P.T. walked off stage and caught sight of Lettie. That moment from yesterday flashed through his mind, when they had become lost in each other's eyes. P.T. remembered another thing. Three words. All he had to say were three words and Lettie would know how he felt about her. He considered working up his nerve and just saying it to her, but before he could, Lettie walked up to him. "Are the rumors true?" She asked him. P.T. had no idea what she was talking about. "Rumors?" Lettie sighed and looked at the ground. "Someone told me that you like me." P.T. tried to hide the shock on his face. Who had known? He decided that now would be the best time to tell her. "Listen, I- I just- I- I-" I love you. He wanted to say. Somehow, Lettie seemed to already know. She put her hand on his shoulder. "Shut up, Barnum." She said. Then, P.T. felt like time Had frozen when, in front of everyone, their lips met in a passionate kiss.

 **I was FANGIRLING that whole time.**


	6. Chapter 5

The next few days were a dream, but also a nightmare. P.T. hadn't bothered to tell anyone (well, except for Lettie) about his and Charity's separation. He hadn't thought it would be an issue, but now, seeing how they all seemed to turn their backs on Lettie after seeing the kiss, P.T. realized he would have to tell them. The part that was like a dream was like that because P.T. and Lettie now felt free to express their feelings for each other. Lettie was also finding herself more and more in the choreography being placed up front next to P.T. No one understood why Lettie and P.T. always disappeared for about fifteen minutes after shows (A/N I won't bother telling what they were doing because it might get inappropriate). But finally, three hours before a show, P.T. decided it was time to tell everyone the truth about Charity.

Lettie had accidentally ran into Anne. Anne spun around. "Don't you have something to do? Like be with P.T.?" She said P.T. like it was the name of a venomous snake. P.T. came into the ring just in time to see Anne walk away, leaving Lettie in tears. It was the same kind of rejection that she had received before she came to the circus. Lettie fell to her knees and began sobbing. P.T. walked over to her. He knelt on the ground next to her and wrapped his arms around her. He felt Lettie relax into his embrace. "You can't let what they say get to you." P.T. said. "I know." Lettie said, her voice shaking. "Its just so hard. I've been fighting the same battle pretty much my whole life. It got a little easier for a while, but now everyone thinks you're betraying Charity again. They don't care about what I say, they just think scandal." With that, Lettie completely broke down, her entire body shaking as she cried. P.T. heels her for a few more minutes until she calmed down. When Lettie stopped crying, P.T. leaned back and looked into her eyes. "You won't have to go through this again. I'll talk to everyone today." Lettie smiled slightly. "Promise?" P.T. put his hands on her shoulders. "I promise." He placed a gentle kiss on her lips, then they stood up. "Come on." P.T. said. "Lets go face them." Lettie smiled at him. Song lyrics began to play throuth her head.

 _when the sharpest words wanna cut me down_

 _I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out_

 _I am brave, I am bruised, I am who I'm meant to be_

 _This is me_


	7. Accidental hiatus

I'm sooooooo super sorry for the wait. I've been super busy. I'll update tomorrow morning. I'll be going on hiatus from the 18th to the 22nd, and again from the 25th to the 29th. Very sorry.


	8. Chapter 6

After the misunderstanding was cleared up, everything was perfect. It seemed as if nothing could go wrong in the world. Until the day that Charity came back.

They had just finished a show, when Anne called out, "P.T.! Its the authorities! And Charity's with them!" P.T. and Lettie exchanged a frightened look. P.T. was the first to recover. He took Lettie's hand and squeezed it, as if to say, "it's going to be alright." then P.T. turned to the others. I don't want you to panic. I want all of you to go and change out of your costumes." Everyone filed out, but Lettie stayed by his side. "You really think I'm going to leave you here to deal with this alone?" she asked him. P.T. sighed, acting exasperated, but they both knew he was grateful. When they entered, Charity was crying dramatically. "Scandal!" she screamed, pointing at P.T. "he left me with one of my daughter's and stole the other! Now i come here and he's forgotten about me all together and gotten together with that...freak!" P.T. could see hurt flash in Lettie's eyes. He stepped up to Charity. "It was your idea to separate in the first place! And you supported the circus for years!" Charity glared at him. "And he's a liar," she said. Then she turned to the authorities. "I want him locked up." They advanced on P.T. Then they grabbed him. "NO!" Lettie screamed, but there was nothing she could do. She could already feel tears coming. They began to pull him toward the exit, but Lettie called out to them. "Wait!" they turned to look at her. Please, just let me say goodbye." They muttered to each other. Eventually, they stepped back. P.T. ran to Lettie and practically crushed her in an embrace. Tears were streaming down their faces. "I love you." P.T. whispered into her ear. "Likewise." Lettie whispered back. Then they were pulled apart by the authorities. Lettie watched them leave. It wasn't until they were out of sight did she really show how she felt. She fell to her knees, her body wracked with sobs. She almost didn't notice when the others entered the room. Anne keeled down next to her. Lettie looked up, her vision blurred with tears. Anne wrapped her arms around Lettie. And could feel her shaking. The nightmare was beginning.

End of part 1.


End file.
